This application relates to a rotor for use in a gas turbine engine, wherein the rotor rotates closely spaced from a stator blade. A seal disk on the rotor is provided with alternating insulation and abrasive material sections, such that the beneficial properties of each material are enjoyed by the rotor.
A gas turbine engine, such as a turbo fan engine for an aircraft, includes a fan section, a compression section, a combustion section and a turbine section. An axis of the engine is centrally disposed within the engine and extends longitudinally through the sections. A primary flow path for working medium gases extends axially through the sections of the engine.
The fan, compressor and turbine sections each include rotor and stator assemblies. The rotor assemblies include a rotor disk and a plurality of radially extending blades. The blades span across through the flow path and interact with the working medium gases and transfer energy between the fan blades and working medium gases. The stator assemblies include a case and vanes, which circumscribes the rotor assemblies.
One challenge with gas turbine engines is to achieve a good seal between the stator vanes and a seal disk that rotates with the rotors. One way of achieving this seal is the provision of an abradable seal material on the vane. The seal disk rotates in contact with abradable material, such that a seal is provided as the abradable material wears in.
To best achieve this wearing in, it would be desirable to have an abrasive material on the seal disk. On the other hand, the seal disk is subject to very high temperatures. It would be desirable to have an insulation material on the seal disk to assist in resisting thermal expansion.
The goal of providing the features of both the insulation, and the abrasive material, has not been achieved in the prior art. Prior art gas turbine engine designers have had to choose between the two materials.